Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in this combination image.
During a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed ways to further improve relations within the framework of the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030.
The call covered a wide range of topics with shared interests, according to a statement from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
Japan’s prime minister also expressed his “strong hopes for Saudi Arabia’s leading role in stabilizing the crude oil market,” according to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Both sides agreed to further promote cooperation in stabilizing the crude oil market and work towards carbon-neutrality through the use and promotion of clean energy, according to Japan’s MoFA.
The two leaders will continue to further strengthen the Japan-Saudi Vision 2030 partnership, and hold active summit and ministerial-level meetings and visits, the statement said.
“Japan attaches great importance to the relationship with Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner,” the Japanese prime minister was quoted as saying in the statement.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince also reportedly offered his condolences again on the passing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Following the death of Japan’s former prime minister Abe in July, Saudi Arabia blasted the “cowardly killing” and offered its deepest condolences to his family and praised him as a true friend of the Kingdom.
Citing a MoFA statement, Saudi Arabia acknowledged the important role Abe played as a leader internationally, and his “pivotal role as a friend of the Kingdom.”
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met the former Japanese Prime Minister in Riyadh in January 2020 during an official visit.
The duo reviewed cooperation in the fields of tourism, security of supplies, artificial intelligence and renewable energy, according to a Saudi Press Agency report.
Later, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also held talks with Prime Minister Abe in the ancient desert city of AlUla focusing on the economic, trade, investment and cultural fields, including aspects of cooperation in accordance with the Saudi-Japanese Vision 2030, according to the SPA report.
In July, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan visited Tokyo for a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi.
The two countries first established diplomatic ties in 1955. Saudi Arabia is the most important supplier of crude oil to Japan, and Japan is one of Saudi Arabia’s many significant partners in trade and investment.
